LUX TERMINUS

American progressive trio Lux Terminus is set to release their highly anticipated sophomore album, Cinder, on April 18th! The album, which was written and recorded over four years and produced by the band, sees Lux Terminus once again embracing the core of their sound — keyboards-driven progressive metal with strong analog synth and cinematic influences — while exploring heavier and more diverse musical territories. Featuring guest appearances from Ross Jennings (Haken), Jørgen Munkeby, Jon Pyres, and Espera (Sleep Token).

Lux Terminus is the visionary project of keyboardist Vikram Shankar, a multifaceted musician known for his work with Pain of Salvation, Silent Skies, and Redemption, as well as his compositions for major video game scores like Space Marine II, Evil Dead: The Game, and the upcoming Jurassic Park: Survival. Formed in 2016, this instrumental trio, which also includes drummer Matthew Kerschner and bassist Brian Craft, challenges the conventions of progressive metal and rock by completely omitting electric guitars. Instead, they craft their sound with an intricate blend of pianos, analog and digital synthesizers, and orchestral arrangements. The result is a richly textured and emotionally compelling brand of modern prog—one that embraces the genre's technical complexity while never losing sight of melody, atmosphere, and emotional depth.

Their debut album, The Courage to Be (2018), set the stage for the band's unique sound, with its bold use of pianos and synths to replace the traditional guitar-driven framework of progressive music. The album's sweeping, 20-minute title track highlighted the group's orchestral influences, thanks in part to Shankar's background in film composition. The Courage to Be also featured notable guest contributions, including a guitar solo by Dutch virtuoso Timo Somers, cello from Raphael Weinroth-Browne, and stunning vocals on the album’s final track, "Epilogue: Fly," by Anneke van Giersbergen. After its release, the band took a brief hiatus as Shankar focused on his other projects, including three albums with Silent Skies, a studio album and live Blu-ray with Redemption, and extensive touring with Pain of Salvation. But now, Lux Terminus returns from hiatus, preparing to unveil their highly anticipated sophomore album, Cinder.

Since their formation in 2016, Lux Terminus has captivated the progressive metal world with their keyboard-driven, genre-defying sound. With their second album Cinder on the horizon, keyboardist Vikram Shankar, bassist Brian Craft, and drummer Matthew Kerschner have reached new creative heights.

Cinder’s ten tracks showcase Lux Terminus’s evocative exuberance through an impressive array of soundscapes. Lead single “Mosaic Mind” concisely highlights the trio’s musical hallmarks, meticulously blending mind-bending riffs with anthemic and infectious melodies. “Natsukashii” exemplifies their uniquely emotional approach to progressive music, pairing asymmetric meters with retro aesthetics for an effervescent tribute to memory and the beauty of yesteryear. Three-part opener “Jupiter” steadfastly prioritizes mood and atmosphere over displays of technicality, reflecting on the serendipity of life’s journey with metaphors of theoretical physics and sublime vocal contributions from Espera (Sleep Token). And album centerpiece “Catalyst” traverses diverse stylistic ground – melding musical theater with cinematic prog and synthpop – while conveying a potent narrative about the peaks and valleys of mental health, featuring emotive performances from Ross Jennings (Haken), Jon Pyres (Threads of Fate, Violet Sin, Lost in Reverie), and Jørgen Munkeby (Emperor, Ihsahn, Shining, Periphery, et al.).

With Cinder, Lux Terminus firmly establishes that technical proficiency need not be anathema to melodic and atmospheric sensitivity, and that a primarily instrumental group – without the presence of a guitar player – can rise beyond conventional confines to create something truly profound: evocative, passionate, and emotionally charged art.

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